New York’s D Generation and Guns N’ Roses came to U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday December 2nd.

I have been more excited about this show than many concerts in the recent past, as I never got to see Guns N’ Roses live back in the day. D Generation took the stage sharply at 9 P.M. and played a high energy set which the large crowd seemed to enjoy. I have to admit that I am not very familiar with D Generation, but I liked the songs that I heard in their set. The last time the band played in Cincinnati, they opened for KISS back in 1996, so hopefully it doesn’t take them another fifteen years to come back to Cincinnati.

I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect with Guns N’ Roses. My expectations were somewhat low for this show. I didn’t know what kind of shape Axl Rose’s voice was in. I have never heard his current band play before. I have loved the original incarnation of Guns N’ Roses for so long, I never gave the new version of Guns N’ Roses a chance. With that being said, Axl Rose & company, BLEW ME AWAY!! Axl Rose is still singing at the top of his game, and his three guitarists DJ Ashba, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and Richard Fortus, all trade off the lead guitar duties. Each one of these guys are tremendous musicians, and they all put on one hell of a show. DJ Ashba might be the guitarist to help take Guns N’ Roses back to the top. He gives Guns N’ Roses a recognizable face that fans automatically associate with. The cool thing is, Ashba, Thal and Fortus play together perfectly. Axl had no problem sharing the spotlight and gave his trio of axe slingers plenty of time to share the limelight. He even let bass guitarist Tommy Stinson handle the vocals on the cover of the Dead Boys tune “Sonic Reducer”.

Guns N’ Roses stage show was one of the biggest ones I have seen in quite some time. Video screens were set up on the far left and right hand side of the stage, as well as a massive video wall behind the stage. The lights and pyro were extremely cool. No matter where you were sitting, you saw a great show. Axl and company took the stage at 10:45 and played for nearly 3 hours with the set list below.

This concert made me a believer in the current version of Guns N’ Roses. I used to dream about a Guns N’ Roses reunion, but after the show I saw Friday night, I do not long for a reunion anymore. I am anxious to see how far this band can take things in the current lineup. If you have been on the fence about going to see Guns N’ Roses in your area, you should buy a ticket. This was an amazing night of rock and roll, and easily one of the best concerts I have seen in lifetime.

New York City’s highly influential rock band D Generation will perform with legendary rockers Guns N’ Roses at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit on December 1 and at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on December 2.

“We’re really honored to have been asked to play with Guns N Roses,” says vocalist Jesse Malin. “Tommy Stinson played on one of my solo records a while back and we’ve known each other for years. We’ve always had great shows in the mid-west and are looking forward to it again.”

“We are always happy to play to new people,” adds guitarist/vocalist Danny Sage. “I wish there were more! We’re flattered…It’s nice to be asked by a band that could have asked anyone. We appreciate it.”

Formed in 1991, D Generation released three highly influential and critically acclaimed albums, D Generation, No Lunch and Through the Darkness, and toured with rock legends Social Distortion, Green Day, Cheap Trick, The Misfits, The Ramones and Kiss among others before going on hiatus to pursue personal projects in 1999. Over the last decade, Malin has enjoyed a successful solo career while Danny Sage (guitar/vocals), Howie Pyro (bass), Michael Wildwood (drums) and Richard Bacchus (guitar/vocals) have all worked on a variety of their own high profile projects. In early 2011, D Generation returned to the stage for their first live shows since 1999.

“We never saw it as “breaking up” or even this being a “reunion”,” Malin says. “We’ve known each other forever and have always been in each other’s lives. I’ve been doing my solo thing for the last several years and the rest of the guys have been doing their thing as well. We always knew we’d be playing together again.”

“I’m proud to see the band working a lot again,” says Sage. “I believe in the band. I always did. The band should be out there, onstage. I think we play it differently than a lot of other rock n roll bands nowadays…We have a chemistry and a volatility that is kinda lacking lately. It’s been going great; the gigs have been some of the best we’ve ever played.”

Watch D Generation perform their song “Degenerated” live at The Uptown in Oakland, CA on September 25, filmed and edited by Joseph Quever:

Fans in the Midwest can catch the rare chance to see D Generation in their finest form, live in concert with Guns N’ Roses this December in Detroit and Cincinnati.

“We’re looking towards the new year and I am sure we’re gonna have a bunch of releases, a best of, a new album and a lot more touring…that’s the most important part for us,” adds Sage.